Curb Appeal by the Numbers

People often ask what they need to do to their house before listing it for sale. Or maybe they know they should clean up the clutter and repaint that hot pink bedroom a nice neutral, but they aren’t sure about the exterior. How much does it really matter if your shutters are painted and your yard is landscaped? Is it worth the effort it takes to boost your home’s curb appeal?

As a real estate agent, I promise…it matters a lot!! I’ve rounded up some interesting statistics, along with some great resources for how to make your house look its best so it sells fast!

Hug a tree!

Tree cover can increase thevalue of your home up to 9%, and a single tree up to 2%. Of course you can’t go out and plant a giant shade tree a week before selling your home, but if you just moved into a house on a bare lot, it’s probably worth the investment of planting some trees. On the other hand, if you live in a jungle of overgrown bushes, you should probably pull out the weed whacker. Too much vegetation can bring your price down.

People want to retire in the shade.

One group of researchers found that the more people over 65 lived in a neighborhood, the larger the positive impact of trees on home values. In other words, older people were more willing to pay a premium for tree cover. While this may not affect your landscaping choices, it could affect the price you’re able to fetch for your shady yard.

Don’t ignore the house itself.

Landscaping and the house’s exterior add almost equally to a house’s value. A little paint can go a long way!

Good hedges make good neighbors.

One study found that you could see a 4% increase in value simply by having a landscaped wall or a hedge on a property. This is likely in part because of the visual appeal a feature like this adds, but also because of the additional privacy a wall or hedge affords, particularly if your lot is small and your neighbor’s house is close.

Create outdoor living spaces.

Patios added over 12% to a home’s value according to one study. While this may not be an easy one-day DIY project, adding an attractive outdoor living area is something you can undertake on your own if you’re ambitious.

For more on how to improve your curb appeal and get the most money for your home:

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About Us

Our firm was originally founded in 2004. When the market crashed in 2008, we took over many expired listings and were able to sell them quickly, and often at prices higher than the original list price. Agents from other firms started to join us, and we have been growing quickly since then. Hunter Rowe Real Estate is a partnership of full-time professionals working together and developing methods to deliver better results for clients.